The Free Speech Burden

What is it about the draw Mohammed contests that makes me cheer just a little bit? I am the type of person who turns down his radio when pulling up to a red light so as not to offend someone across from me with my loud music from my car. I drive with the windows down so to be polite I silence the music. It’s become a habit. I’m also careful not to let my grass get too long thereby upsetting my neighbors and making them think they live next to a bum who drives down the value of everyone within view of his unkept property. I tend to think and act like a good citizen to hopefully get back a full measure of respect from others around me. At the risk of sounding a bit prudish and stiff (too late) I hate when my behavior or lack of concern affects others around me. In short, I hate giving offence. It is un-Christian to look for reasons to upset those around you.

 Earlier this year a magazine in Paris Charlie Hebdo was attacked by Islamic radicals offended by the publication’s artwork (example) that featured the prophet Mohammed. Similar in style and tone to Mad Magazine here in the U.S, it skewers popular comedians, politicians, televangelists, athletes, movie stars and religious figures both modern and historic. It isn’t my style. It’s very offensive and tasteless and has heaped scorn on many Christian figures with perverse drawings and sketches. When the artists were murdered I was outraged. I was more outraged in the weeks that followed when most popular newspapers and magazines refused to re-print the cartoons that so offended the murderous cowards who rampaged the offices of Charlie Hebdo. As Western nations dedicated to free press, free speech and free religious expression, newspaper rolls should have run out of ink from printing the offensive cartoons and selling copy after copy. Television newscasts should headlined with comic strips of Mohammed that the French satirical paper had drawn in the past. The response was pretty tame as I recall. CNN pixelated the images but still managed to put the cartoon on a graphic over the anchor’s left shoulder, other newscasts didn’t even show the worrisome cover, just explained the reaction of the terrorists to it.

This is old news now and I realize I’m covering territory that has been covered. I didn’t understand what this new reality of cowering in fear from Islamic radicals has meant for free expression in Europe and the United States until I watched a live speech by Mark Steyn (here) in Copenhagen. His point was that radical thugs get away with killing and scare mongering when only a handful of outfits reprint the cartoons and make themselves a target. Fewer targets equal fewer options for Muslim fanatics to direct their ire. When the Green Bay Packers come to Chicago to play the Bears they bring a lot of fans. When Chicago fans get upset by inevitable beating that the Pack will put on their team, it’s easy to punch the one cheering fan with the cheese wedge hat and the Aaron Rodgers jersey. It is less hard when the cheese hat guy has five or six of his friends along. The media should do likewise and show those fundamentalist clowns that when a Muslim terrorist kills one of their own a whole lot of sketch drawings of their precious Mohammed are about the hit the papers. The news media needs to share the burden and it won’t feel so much like a burden. Besides, this act of support isn’t just a heartwarming tribute to the memory of lost colleagues. It is the best statement of principles regarding the true nature of freedom in a democratic society. It says in very specific terms ‘you do not get to tell us what to print, what to say, what to do’. The result of not doing so throws the weight of holding up freedom of the press to individuals like Pamela Geller (http://pamelageller.com) who is a wonderful champion of free speech but also a pariah. This is the unfortunate point of playing the censorship game; the Pam Gellars of the world become pariahs and get threatened constantly given such a scare team. She is the opposing fan in the bleachers wearing Packers gear at Soldier field whose friends are half-way to Milwaukee after examining the mood of the crowd. It won’t be long before self-censorship becomes business as usual for the press. Writers and editors who call themselves the fourth estate and keep authority figures in check through scathing articles and illustrations, will decide it isn’t worth the trouble. When that happens, other freedoms will start to dry up as they become increasingly offensive and security concerns override freedom.

I support the ‘draw Mohammed’ contests as a statement of principles on liberty, not because I like to offend.